Dash Players Featured Above: Reese Dillard (Dash Kingwood 08 Orange) & Ainsley Dillard (Dash Kingwood 05 Orange)

As most players sat down with their families to eat a big Thanksgiving dinner, Reese and Ainsley Dillard (Dash Kingwood Program) did something a little different. Instead, they laced up their cleats and kept in shape by playing soccer with local kids in a small village in Haiti. The girls and their parents (Greg & Liz) travelled to Haiti over the Thanksgiving break with an organization called myLIFEspeaks. They stayed in a village called Neply, which is about an hour outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. In Haiti, girls typically don't get to play soccer so the girls were happy to show them what American girls are made of and hopefully inspire the Haitian girls, who watched from the sidelines. Great job girls!

"We spent Thanksgiving week in Neply, Haiti. It's on the west side of the island. Haitians love soccer. They don't really know how to play basketball or baseball. When my sister and I played soccer with them, there weren't any Haitian girls out there, only boys. But some girls joined in after we started." – Ainsley Dillard (Dash Kingwood 05 Orange)

"The kids in Haiti didn't have soccer shoes. Most of them played in bare feet even though the field is just dirt. We don't know how to speak Creole (their language) and they don't know much English, but we all know how to play soccer. We had a great time with the people in Haiti. They are so kind and welcoming and we can't wait to go back." – Reese Dillard (Dash Kingwood 08 Orange)